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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Does it make me a loser that one of the most exciting things about being pregnant was being able to do these updates? Yes I think so. I wasn't blogging when pregnant with Saige so I am so looking forward to posting about this pregnancy and having weekly pictures to see my expanding belly.

So there is baby #2..beginning to show way earlier than I did with Saige. I guess it's true what they say about those muscles not being as tight the 2nd time around. And no I'm not usually that tan..you can thank the lady at Old City Tans for her fabulous airbrushing technique.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? At my 8 week appointment I weighed the same as I did for my 8 week appointment with Saige. And now? I think only my boobs have gained weight. Shit. I wish they would stay the same..porn star tits are not high on my priority list. I gained 31 pounds with S and hope to be around or less with baby #2.

Maternity Clothes? Nope. Not needed as of yet. However, I am looking forward to a wardrobe of leggings, summer dresses, and my Joes jean shorts, capris, and skirt. I wore those 3 items weekly last time and I absolutely love them! I plan on spending my May birthday money on a Pea in the Pod shopping spree!

Sleep? I am exhausted all.day.long. I could sleep for weeks if it was possible. I am out from the moment my head hits the pillow. I am a tummy sleeper so it is always a rough adjustment when the baby bump pops.

Best Moment of the Week? Getting giddy while online shopping for multi-video monitors and double strollers. It's the little things that excite me!

Movement? I swear I feel little waves and butterflies already. Or perhaps its just gas? I only felt Saige around 21 weeks but things are definitely progressing quicker this time around.

Food Craving? Any kind of food. I'm hungry all the time..no lie. When we flew to Georgia last weekend, I ate a breakfast sandwich, pretzels, and cinnabon..all before 9 am. I blame it on all the airport options. Just too much right at your fingertips.

Food aversions? None this time around! I didn't have any with S and don't expect any to come around this time either.

Morning sickness? There's been some pukage but not on a consistent basis. It's more like all day nausea..or as soon as my stomach feels empty. I need to walk around with a bag of saltines or something.

Gender? No idea! But I would say boy..just because I feel much differently than I did with S. I only found out at 21 weeks with S..but I may spend the extra $$ and find out at 16 weeks. I'm way too anxious!

Labor Signs? No thank you.

Belly Button? I have a permanent outie. And let's not even discuss what pregnancy did to my belly button ring holes. It like stretched out the scar tissue even though I had it out for a few years before I was even pregnant. Believe me, it's not pretty.

What I miss? Pinot Grigio. Riesling. Beer. Not feeling like i'm going to throw up any minute.

What I'm looking forward to: Having a legit baby bump. Maternity clothing shopping. And of course finding out if baby #2 is a boy or girl!

Friday, February 10, 2012

"Can we hurry up to the ultrasound to see if a baby is actually in there?"...

These were among the first words I said to the OB yesterday..a little aggressive eh?

I have a feeling that pregnancy #2 is going to be way different than the first. I would never have believed I was actually pregnant if it weren't for the 4 positive tests I took in the last month and the fact that I haven't had my lovely friend since December. That's why I was so anxious for my appointment yesterday. I felt so nervous and scared. I thought they were going to stick that awful long rod where the sun don't shine..and find nothing. Just an empty uterus. But...it wasn't empty at all, not one bit. It is currently the warm & cozy home of my kidney bean sized baby..with a pounding heartbeat.

I felt instant relief & all my worries flew out the window. I explained to the doctor, the same doctor who delivered Saige, that my symptoms have been so different this time around. At 8 weeks last time I was carrying around a bag of saltines & ritz crackers because I felt so nauseous. I was coming home from work and taking a 4 hour nap. I was also inhaling quarts of Rita's water ice on a daily basis. Now given, I have a 15 month old, so those afternoon naps are no longer a possibility as i'm constantly kept on my toes. But my level of exhaustion is nowhere near where it was the last time and i'm not hugging the toilet after drinking apple juice. Granted with Saige, I only got sick actually once, but I did feel nauseous for most of the day. This could all come back and bite me in the ass if I wake up tomorrow feeling like I was just run over by a truck. Maybe this means it's a boy? Or maybe I need to go knock on wood because I just screwed myself talking about how good I feel..

Either way..my heart skips a beat just looking at the little kidney bean that will be joining our family in September.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

First I would like confess my undying and passionate love for Becky...or whatever her real name may be. She has quickly become one of my blogger/twitter besties due to her humor, kindness, and the fact that she has smokin hot bod! I mean no wonder her hubs is always taking pictures of her ass instead of her adorable girl Elliana! All humor aside, she truly inspires me to be a better mother, wife, and cook. She does it all and I admire her! I am so excited to link up with her today in honor of Valentines Day next Tuesday. So here goes my love story....1. How long have you and your significant other been together?Are you ready for this?? Nearly a decade. We started dating the summer before our senior year in high school..so it will be 10 years this coming June. I can't believe how young we were when I look back at a few old pictures..

2. How did you meet?We have known each other ever since grade school. Our houses are literally 8 minutes away from each other..don't worry - I had it timed perfectly to be able to make it home at curfew. We were always friends and even swam together on the same swim team. Our best friends dated one another all throughout high school but we never had any romantic connection..only a quick make out session our freshman year oops. However, we started to hang out more towards the end of our junior year..and then he had the nerve to start hanging out with some skank freshman. I finally realized that I cared about him more than a friend..and of course he was always madly in love with me..so the rest is history. A match made in the jealous throes of high school. 3. How long have you been married?We tied the knot on May 22, 2010..and it was one hell of a party.

4. Where did you get married? Big or small wedding?

We got married back in our hometown of Lebanon, PA. The ceremony was at my parents church and the reception was held at the Lebanon Country Club. This was also the same reception site as my parents, how special! Around 200 people attended and it was one of the best days of our lives. To be surrounded by all our family and friends while we pledged our love for one another..the fun, laugher, and dancing..can we get married again? Actually scratch that, I don't think my Dads checkbook could handle that.

5. Do you have any nicknames that you call one another?

Nothing special besides the typical hunny, lovebug, asshole & sweetheart. He does occasionally call me "Quinny" which has been around since I was a little girl.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

The love he has for Saige & myself, his hard-working ethic, and his BIG heart for his family & friends.

7. Tell us how he proposed.

If you read my "Story About Us"..you would see that we had a unconventional way of getting married. We decided that it was the right thing to do at the time..and we had been dating for 8 years..so why the hell not?! I picked out hinted at the ring I wanted, he bought it on the spot, and popped the question right in the car. Not exactly a romantic proposal but we clearly like to shake things up a bit!

8. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day.

Travel more of the world..go on a Mediterranean or Alaskan cruise. We have done a lot of traveling with our families but not many vacations with just the two of us. We took a babymoon to San Diego & Laguna Beach before Saige was born and had a fantastic time. Of course it would have been better had I been able to booze my face off. Keepin it classy as always.

9. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

10. Show us a picture what love means to you.

Seeing my husband hold our baby girl for the first time. I never knew my heart could feel so full & lucky.

Monday, February 6, 2012

As a school counselor, my duties can fall under one large category; to look out for and protect the welfare of my students..whether this be emotional, mental, or physical. I also have one significant role as well..I am a "mandated reporter". I am required to report whenever physical & sexual abuse is suspected, or when there is evidence of neglect, knowledge of an incident, or any risk of suspected harm.

This is a very tough part of my job. To hear young innocent children talk about what is happening to them outside school. Whether they are denied food, clean clothes, and the means to bathe..or being beaten on a weekly basis. Or perhaps they are on medication and their guardian hasn't refilled the script for weeks. All of these issues cause problems at school. The child may have behavior problems at school, they may be aggressive with others, or they may be made fun by others due to their body odor. They may have to take care of themselves in the morning which is why they are consistently late or absent from school. Kids just can't be kids anymore, especially the children whose families are struggling financially and mentally. They are put in charge of younger siblings when their parent works the night shift. No one is there to check their homework at night. Some families even lock the refrigerator when they are gone. And the kids are left to fend for themselves. It is an awful pattern. Babies having babies..and then the grandparents, aunts, and uncles have to step in and take guardianship.

However, when any parent or guardian abuses their child, I am required to report the incident. Many of you may be wondering why i've been having such a tough time at work. I can't go into many specifics, but its due to the fact that I am doing everything I can to protect these kids...and other faculty members are not backing me up. Clearly they can't be bothered with these serious issues. Apparently we should send kids back home to their abuser even when they confided in me that they are afraid to go home. Can you imagine..finally getting up the guts to tell a teacher what is going on at home...then being sent back to that same home the very night? No? Because I can't. And it is something I would never do. It is our moral obligation to have the child's best interest at heart..even if it may be an inconvenience to stay at school later than normal. I took the proper precautions and followed the correct protocol..and then was shot down and "dismissed".

So things have become very hostile and uncomfortable around these parts. I haven't backed down as I know I did the right thing...and others didn't. So therefore I have reached out for help from my union as situations like this cannot happen again. So please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I see this situation through. I apologize for being so vague and appreciate all your concerns and comments.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Post-baby: Barely getting through a page on my kindle before passing out at night.

I have been and still am an avid reader. Even at a young age I would sit and read books to my dolls. I had entire books memorized from cover to cover. My bookcases at home are jam-packed with books and i've sold hundreds on Amazon..well until they banned me from selling. But that's a bullshit story for another time. Heading to the beach for vacation meant a time to breeze through 8+ good summer reads. I used to constantly swap books with my hometown bff and always had a pile of books on my nightstand.

And then I became a mom...

I soon exchanged my "chick lit" for sleep training manuals and books with titles such as "Sleep, Eat, Poop". When I would have a few minutes to pick up a book I found it more important to lay my head down on the kitchen floor pillow and take a nap. Instead of relaxing on the beach with a book in my hand I now found myself digging sand out of Saige's mouth and running back and forth between the house and the beach.

I miss my long-lost hobby. I truly need to get back to it...as it is one of my passions. I have always identified myself as a reader. Luckily my Amazon wish list is jam-packed with some upcoming books from my favorite authors:

I also hope and pray that Saige will enjoy reading as much as her mother. She currently has the attention span of a gnat when it comes to books. I think she enjoys pulling all the books off the shelves more than she does the actual book. We are more into the "Touch and Feel" books right now but I hope as she grows that she will learn to enjoy the words & the illustrations. But for now? She is more into iPhones, blocks, and trying to eat the cat food.